The Boredom Cure
by THEdragon-of-rainbows
Summary: Rayman needs something to do with his day, and the Magician knows how to cure his boredom. (Rayman 1 based fanfic. Set in the Valley.)


Rayman stretched his non-existent limbs with a yawn, squinting at the morning sun rays that shone through his window as he slowly sat up from his bed. As he lumbered slowly out of the room and into the kitchen, he could hear the tide rushing gently back and forth against the shore nearby, breaking the silence. His mind was set on tasting that new box of berry-flavoured cereal he had bought just the evening before. Rayman liked trying new things, and as much as he loved to relax and take naps, he loved adventure and excitement. As Rayman opened the kitchen cupboard, the calendar stuck to the inside of the door caught his attention. He traced his finger across each day of the month in a zigzag motion before reaching the current date and tapping it enthusiastically.

"Today is a new adventure," The hero mumbled to himself, "My resting day is tomorrow."

Rayman wasn't the type to plan things out neatly and perfectly, but he liked to set aside days to relax. Days on which he could spend as much time as he wanted just napping or catching up on some television. Today wasn't one of those days and he was happy about that, because today Rayman wanted to do something fun, he wanted to achieve something, make a memory, or discover something new. That was something to plan while trying the new cereal! Rayman took the box of berry-flavoured breakfast crunch and opened it eagerly, peering at the pink, flaky contents inside while grabbing a nearby bowl. He took a sniff of the delightfully sweet smell of the cereal as he went to get the milk, and he would have tried to cram his big nose into the box had he not bumped into the fridge! Smelling the cereal was one thing, but Rayman hadn't tasted it yet! He pulled the half-empty milk carton from the refrigerator, checking the expiry date (Better safe than sorry!) before pouring it and some of the berry-flavoured cereal into the porcelain bowl on his kitchen table. Gripping a spoon eagerly, Rayman sat down on his dainty bamboo chair and scooped up a spoonful of the new breakfast, then put it in his mouth. It was… It was quite pleasant. Not as amazing as he expected it would be, but worth eating nonetheless.

"_What will I do today?_" Rayman thought to himself, gazing out the window and into the sea as he ate the berry-flavoured breakfast. "_What CAN I do today?_"

The more he thought about it, the more the young hero realised there wasn't a whole lot he could do with his friends. Betilla was guarding the Great Protoon and holding an important meeting with the other fairies, so it would be rude to interrupt her. He could play with the Electoons, but he had done that far too often lately, and even Rayman needed a break from the same thing over and over. Joe, the friendly extra-terrestrial, had returned to his home planet to visit his family for a while and wasn't coming back for another week. There was a big storm forecasted around Twilight Gulch, so Rayman couldn't go through the Blue Mountains to visit the Musician since Betilla was certainly unimpressed, to say the least, last time Rayman climbed the mountains during a storm. The Magician would always welcome Rayman over to his house, but the poor fellow needed to rest as he had hurt his back just the other day! Rayman could go watch one of the spectacular plays in Picture City, but he couldn't enjoy them on his own. The only friend he could think of taking with him was Tarayzan, and Tarayzan never liked Picture City and its contemporary culture very much.

"No problem," Rayman sighed to himself, scraping at the bottom of the empty bowl with his spoon, "I can have fun on my own!"

He placed the bowl and spoon in the kitchen sink, silently promising to clean it later, before walking out of his round little seaside home and onto the sandy shore. It was then that he began to ponder where he should go from there.

"I could go to Band Land, I do love music," Rayman thought out loud, "But I don't think I can show my face there for a while after that awful piano solo, and just the thought of practicing any more makes my fingers ache."

The world around him felt disappointingly quiet, and not just because of the remote location of Rayman's home. Usually he could hear distant sounds of children playing along the beach, people frolicking through the forest, or friends laughing together, but today it seemed like everyone was busy or just staying indoors and minding their own business. Rayman began to worry about being bored. In fact, just worrying about wasting a day being bored was beginning to bore him.

"I could style my hair… No, NO." Rayman considered, before ruling out the idea. "My hairstyle is fine the way it is, I don't wanna risk messing it up now. Maybe when I'm older I'll outgrow this hairstyle and try something new. Maybe some other day."

Rayman stroked his hand through the three neat fronds of shiny, golden-blond hair on his head. He was proud of his hair; it was the hair that had saved him many times during tricky situations.

"I can bake something sweet for my friends!" Rayman thought out loud again, almost hoping someone would hear him and start a conversation. "But… My cooking skills aren't very good, for someone who can save the Valley… And I already have cupcakes in the fridge that I haven't had the chance to hand out."

To have called them cupcakes would be an overstatement; they more closely resembled charred lumps of icing-smothered crumby matter. They wouldn't be very tasty, especially once all the icing had been licked off. There was one hope left, one thing Rayman could spend all day doing peacefully by himself. Unexpectedly feeling artistic urges, Rayman decided that he wanted to paint! The hero rushed back inside, rubbing his fingers as he passed his piano, and pulled out his art kit from under his bed.

"Oh boy, what am I going to paint?" Rayman asked himself excitedly as he rummaged through all his paint tubes and brushes. "Maybe I could paint the seascape, or a pink plant tree, or maybe the mountains, or… Uh oh."

Rayman's eyes widened in horror as he realised he was missing a paint tube. It was only one, but it was his FAVOURITE shade of purple! A shade of deep, bold purple he affectionately nicknamed 'Magical Purple'. He wouldn't paint without it, no matter what he was painting; even his forests had touches of magical purple. Rayman sighed heavily and pushed the art tools back under the bed. Every colour imaginable and more could be purchased at Picture City, so he could easily buy another tube of the paint, but was he no longer in the mood to make art. Rayman shuffled slowly out of the house, dragging his feet along with his head hung down in defeat. He was doomed to an entire day of boredom. Unless a miracle happened, he would be wasting the day wandering aimlessly, kicking up dirt as the hours dragged by slower and slower.

"Boredom is so… Boring." Rayman muttered, with a gloomy expression on his otherwise friendly facial features.

"So, it appears you have come down with a bad case of boredom!" A familiar upbeat voice chuckled from behind.

Rayman jumped with surprise and pivoted around to see none other than the Magician, standing outside the house with one hand on the brim of his hat, his wand in the other hand and a grin on his face. It was as if he had simply appeared out of nowhere. But then again, that was probably exactly how that sneaky little Magician got there.

"Hey, I thought your back was still hurting!" Rayman questioned, scratching his head.

"Now that I think about it…" the Magician replied in a pained tone, abruptly cringing and hunching over. "It does! You shouldn't have reminded me!"

"Oh sorry…" Rayman apologised, guiltily pushing mounds of sand back and forth with his foot. "But why did you come all the way over here when you should be resting?"

"Well, I certainly didn't walk here, thank goodness for teleportation magic!" The Magician chuckled, still keeping his sense of humour while rubbing his sore back and cringing. "I sensed your boredom from all the way in the hills of the Dream Forest, and I didn't want my favourite hero spending all day kicking up dirt and not enjoying this fine day!" Rayman blushed at the term 'favourite hero', and the Magician leaned up against the wall of Rayman's house, showing signs of mild relief from his backache. "Now listen up, I know of a trick that will cure your boredom!"

"A cure for my boredom? Really?" Rayman responded excitedly, shuffling closer to the Magician, eager to know more. "How long does it last?"

"Well, Rayman, that depends." The Magcian replied, tapping Rayman gently on the nose with his wand. "If you take your time and follow my instructions carefully, the cure can last all day! Now, listen closely. What I need you to do is go into through the Pink Plant Woods, and count how many yellow Popolopoï you see along the way. Then head through the Swamps of Forgetfulness and over to the tall yellow-vine trees around Anguish Lagoon, and how many yellow Popolopoï you counted is how many of the biggest white flowers you must pick from a bush underneath the tree closest to the lagoon. Then take that flower to Picture City, have it dyed in the best colour you can find, and bring it back to me."

Rayman was quite bewildered by the Magician's bizarrely complex and specific request. Rayman didn't know much about magic formulas but he was sure the Magician knew what he was doing, and a trip through the forest couldn't be too much to ask for a cure for boredom.

"Okay, I'll do it!" Rayman decided enthusiastically.

"Wonderful, I'll be back at my cottage when you're done!" The Magician replied. His tone then turned weary and pained again. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a soft, comfortable bed that I hear calling my name, so I can't stand around here any longer. See you later, Rayman!" And with that, The Magician pulled his tall top hat over his head and body and completely disappeared into it, before the hat itself disappeared into thin air with a shower of coloured sparks.

Rayman stood silently outside his house for a few moments, retracing the Magician's instructions as sparks settled where he had once stood. His first step was to head through the Pink Plant woods and count yellow Popolopoï. Simple! Rayman turned towards the direction of the forest and headed off towards it. He made his way off the shore and into thicker and thicker foliage, walking slowly through the woods, weaving between the pink-leaved trees carefully to avoid tripping over their thick roots while looking out for the yellow butterfly-like creatures of the Dream Forest. Rayman kept a close eye on anything that moved, and often mistook falling flower petals for the fluttering brightly-coloured wings of a Popolopoï. In fact, Rayman had spent quite a long time strolling through the Pink Plant Woods before he found any, and he had almost forgotten what he was doing when he heard a croaking noise in the bushes. Rayman's curious approaching footsteps startled a toad, whose sudden leap out of the bush not only startled Rayman but a kaleidoscope of orange and blue Popolopoï. The insects circled up into the air and separated, hovering around him before settling back down in nearby cups of pink flowers. It was a beautiful sight indeed, but not the one Rayman was looking for, so he kept walking on, picking up a fallen stick along the way. He tapped the trees, leaves and branches beside him with the stick in a child-like manner, rustling the foliage and stirring up swarms of red Popolopoï from the roses and green Popolopoï from the bushy leaves. As beautiful as they were, they weren't the yellow ones he needed to count, and the end of the Pink Plant Woods wasn't too far away.

"Yellow fluttering bugs, just where may you be?" Rayman called out, slightly frustrated as he dragged the stick along the ground behind him and dropped it. "I've seen blue, orange, red and green, but no yellow!"

Yellow vines hung down from the tall trees around him, a sign that he was getting close to the Swamps of Forgetfulness. If he didn't count any yellow Popolopoï, then there would be no white flower to pick, no flower to dye, and nothing to give the Magician for that cure! Rayman climbed up one of the vines that hung down nearby from above. He began swinging back and forth on it, building up momentum, before jumping onto another and letting out a loud, screeching yodel.

"Look! I'm Tarayzan!" he laughed, swinging back and forth and leaping between the thick, leafy vines. Indigo and violet Popolopoï fled out of the hero's way as he flew through the woods. Rayman had seen a Popolopoï of every colour of the rainbow, except yellow. He gasped when he momentarily lost his grip on the vines and plummeted down onto the forest floor, skidding and rolling as he landed. It was a rough fall, but Rayman was tough and could handle a tumble. He lay motionless with his chin in the ground for a little while, regaining awareness. Rayman went cross-eyed, looking at the fuzzy yellow blob that hand landed on the end of his nose. As his vision cleared up, he sighed with relief and counted the first and only yellow Popolopoï of his trip through the Pink Plant Woods. It flew away as Rayman lifted his head out of the moist grass, sniffing the air. The wet, swampy smell indicated that the Swamps of Forgetfulness were just up ahead, so he pulled himself off the ground and continued walking.

As Rayman left the Pink Plant Woods, the pink-leafed plants around became less abundant, replaced by tall grasses and dark-green bushes. The ground that was dry and grassy in the woods was much wetter and muddier and he couldn't resist jumping around in the puddles. Rayman knew he had to be careful, though, as the Swamps of Forgetfulness had several bodies of deep water, and Rayman could not swim. As he crossed one of the swamps on a fallen yellow vine tree, he couldn't help but wonder how coloured flowers would help in a magic formula to cure boredom. But magic could be surprising and unpredictable, a perfect example being the ice-cream recipe that needed spider eggs and cauliflower beads! A distant yodel echoed through the forest, still audible over the chirping, croaking and other noises made by birds, frogs and other wildlife in the Dream Forest.

"_I hope Tarayzan isn't mad that I impersonated him so badly._" Rayman thought to himself, recognizing the unmistakable yodel. "_I must admit, that was pretty silly!_"

The funny thing was, Rayman would be the best impersonator of Tarayzan in the whole Valley, as the two were strikingly similar in appearance, aside from their different clothing and hair colour. However, it was Tarayzan who had impersonated Rayman, having noticed his hairstyle and emulated it quite some time ago.

It didn't take too long for the young hero to make it through the swamps, as he had made a mental note of a safe and easy path through the section of the forest during previous trips. However, by the time Rayman made it to Anguish Lagoon, his feet and half of his body were wet and somewhat muddy. That wouldn't be a good look to wear to a place like Picture City, so he figured he would need to make a stop back home after finding one- just one- white flower. Rayman glanced around at all the yellow vine trees. There were so many of them, how was he supposed to find the one he needed? The best thing he could do was search around the border of the lagoon and decide which yellow vine tree was closest. Rayman walked back and forth around the edge of the small lagoon at least three times, frustrated and unable to decide whether the tree beside the rock or the tree near the mushrooms was closer. Whenever he decided on one tree, he would wander back around the lagoon again and the other tree would appear just that little bit closer. All the while he was unaware of the curious and confused eyes watching him from the treetops.

"Do I really need to be as precise as the Magician said?" Rayman murmured as he wandered along, scratching the back of his head and gazing up at the trees. "Does it really matter if I-"

His heart skipped a beat when his foot suddenly slipped on a muddy ledge, sending Rayman tumbling into the water. It was much deeper near the edge of the lagoon than it appeared! Rayman began to panic and flail his hands and feet about wildly in the water in an attempt to keep himself afloat.

"HELP! Somebody, help!" Rayman called out, coughing and spluttering as he tried to keep his head above the water. "I can't swim!"

He tried to grab onto the ledge he had slipped off, but it was too slippery and his hands couldn't get a hold of it. Rayman was now even more afraid, as his frantic splashing was doing no good and his head was sinking under the water. The thought of being remembered as 'the hero who drowned while looking for a flower' seemed far too humiliating! All of a sudden, a hand took a firm hold of Rayman's and pulled him out of the lagoon.

"Th-thank you!" Rayman stuttered, still coughing and spluttering and dripping wet. He looked up at the person who had just saved him. It was none other than his friend Tarayzan! "Tarayzan! How lucky am I that you were around!"

"Very lucky!" Tarayzan replied, looking concerned. "You still can't swim, Rayman?"

"Uhm…" Rayman replied, feeling embarrassed. He didn't like to admit it, but there was no denying it. "I never really learned to swim."

"That can't be safe, not in places like these!" Tarayzan gasped. "I should really teach you how to swim sometime. Anyway, what are you doing around here?"

Rayman glanced back and forth a few times, remembering why he had come to Anguish Lagoon. "I need to collect the biggest white flower from a bush underneath the yellow vine tree closest to the water of the lagoon."

Tarayzan frowned and tilted his head, wondering why Rayman, or anyone for that matter, would be after something so specific. But he knew the Dream Forest like the back of his hand, and knew which tree was closest to the water in Anguish Lagoon. Tarayzan gestured at Rayman to follow him and headed off around the same path Rayman had been taking moments earlier. Rayman mentally slapped himself when it became clear that the tree he was looking for was not the one next to the rock, nor the one near the mushrooms, but the yellow vine tree with crooked branches. He wondered if the branches were crooked from Tarayzan using them as diving boards.

"There you go, Rayman!" Tarayzan said, pointing at the bushes of white flowers at the tree's base. "Where are you going?"

"Home, first." Rayman replied, searching the bush for its largest flower. "I can't go to Picture City dripping wet and smelling like the Swamps of Forgetfulness!"

"Picture City, eh?" Tarayzan replied, watching Rayman act peculiarly. "That place sounds nice. Too nice for me, actually, I… I wouldn't fit in very well. The Dream Forest will always be my home!"

"Well, thanks for the help, Tarayzan," Rayman said, picking a big white flower from halfway down the stem and admiring its thick, broad, smooth petals. "But I need to get going so I can get that cure for boredom from the Magician!"

"_Collecting things for the Magician?_" Tarayzan thought to himself as Rayman left. "_So that's what Rayman's up to! No wonder, the Magician asks for some really strange things sometimes._"

Rayman took a shortcut straight out of Anguish Lagoon and back onto the beach, gently stroking the soft petals of the white flower in his hands. The dry beach sand clung to his wet shoes, and his soaked clothes made him shiver from the cold whenever a cool sea breeze blew past. For a moment, Rayman wondered if the gentle breeze contained any little dropped fragments of the fierce storm all the way up in the Blue Mountains. His house was still far up ahead, back near the Pink Plant Woods, but he didn't mind the walk. Rayman chased some lazy seabirds and did several cartwheels through the sand along the way, being careful not to drop or damage the flower he had picked just earlier. Upon arriving back at his seaside home, Rayman opened the door walked right in without taking off his shoes, leaving bits of wet sand on the floor with every step. Passing through the kitchen and into his bedroom, he couldn't help but notice the lingering smell of milk and berry cereal from the bowl he had left in the sink after breakfast.

"If I'm lucky, I'll have time to buy some lunch before the next train to Eraser Plains arrives." Rayman mumbled to himself, as he changed into dry, clean clothes. It was already lunchtime; he had spent more time in the forest than he thought he would. "I'm sure that lunch bar near the Butterweed Bog train station is open."

Rayman picked up a handful of coins on the way out and tied them into his red neckerchief. It was enough to buy him a sandwich, a train ticket to Picture City and some dye of any colour. He felt much better as he headed inland towards Butterweed Bog, no longer cold and weighed down by soggy clothes. It had been a long time since Rayman had actually taken the train to Picture City, the last time he visited Eraser Plains was when his neckerchief had faded to an embarrassing shade of pink in the sun and he needed it dyed back to its original shade of red. The lady who owned the dye shop could dye pretty much any kind of fabric, but could she dye a flower? Rayman hoped so. He felt a bit relieved to leave the Dream Forest, as much as he loved it. The forest was at the very bottom of the Valley, where the distant Blue Mountains and the sky-lands of Band Land overhead were visible, but Rayman liked to visit some of the higher reaches of the Valley from which he could view the rest of the land from above. Rayman had become so distracted by his thoughts that he bumped straight into the little sandwich-making lunch bar set up right next to the train station- much like he had bumped into the refrigerator early that morning- startling the man at the counter. The worker had almost been sleeping, with his floating head slouched down and his large, round nose almost touching the counter, when he quickly flinched awake. His eyes, almost completely covered by messy blonde dreadlocks, widened when he recognized his customer.  
"Wh-oh, uh, R-Rayman!?" He stuttered in his 'surfer' accent, nervous and surprised by the presence of the Valley's hero. "W-what can I do for you today?"

"Just one banana and eggplant sandwich, please." Rayman requested with a grin, untying his neckerchief and catching the coins that fell out into his hand.

"Uhhh, whuuh, sorry, what was that?" The worker replied, thinking he may have simply misinterpreted Rayman's strange order.

"One banana and eggplant sandwich, please." Rayman repeated. He could tell that the fellow at the counter would rather be at the beach on a day like this, by the brightly coloured holiday shirt he had worn to work. He couldn't blame him for that.

"O-okay sir!" The man at the counter gulped, nervous to be serving someone so renowned. "That'll just be, uh, a moment!"

Rayman nodded and went to check the train schedule as his lunch was being made. He traced his finger down the list of departure and arrival times on the sign near the waiting benches.

Butterweed Bog, Dream Forest – Eraser Plains, Picture City

Rayman had arrived just in time; the train to Eraser plains was scheduled to arrive in ten minutes! Then he remembered the sandwich! He would have to eat that pretty quickly in order to be ready for the train, which was a shame because Rayman liked to take his time and really enjoy his banana and eggplant sandwiches. He shuffled hurriedly over to the ticket booth and flicked a coin onto the counter.

"One ticket to Eraser Plains, please!" Rayman requested slightly anxiously.

The ticket seller handed over a train ticket without a word but a smile and a nod. Rayman smiled and nodded back and scurried back over to the lunch bar. The train station was empty, aside from the sandwich-maker, the ticket booth salesman and a train station guard, who just stood silently in their places, waiting to see yet another train come and go.

"Here you go, Rayman!" The man at the lunch bar said, handing Rayman a sandwich wrapped in white paper, the same kind used in those little cafes in Bongo Hills. "I hope you don't mind me asking, but dude, why banana and eggplant?"

"It's a unique taste, everyone has one!" Rayman laughed, paying the worker some coins and unwrapping his lunch eagerly. "I once met someone who liked putting pumpkin in his plum juice."

Rayman could hear the train coming in the distance, so he took a few quick bites of his banana and eggplant sandwich, enjoying the strange mix of flavours for a moment before stuffing the rest into his mouth anxiously. He had only just finished chewing the last of the sandwich's crust when the train slowed down to a stop at the Butterweed Bog Station. The train was one of the Valley's older steam engine passenger trains, but it still retained most of its attractive silver-blue coat of paint. Rayman presented his ticket to the guard, who smiled and nodded- much like the ticket booth salesman- and let Rayman onto the train. The train wasn't much busier that the station, Rayman counted only five passengers on the train, two of which were sleeping, the other three grinned and waved at him. Rayman grinned and waved back, hoping that the two sleeping passengers hadn't missed their stops. He took a seat near the front of the train, right up against a window so he could see everything outside. The doors on the train were closed sooner that Rayman thought they would have been, but it seemed likely that no-one else was going to board the train at this stop. Rayman twirled the white flower casually by its stem as the train began to move and leave Butterweed Bog Station for the last time that day. The old steam engine train picked up speed rather quickly, and Bongo Hills was in sight within minutes. Anyone would have heard Bongo Hills before seeing it, if it weren't for the loud engine of the train drowning out the distant percussion. Rayman had been staring aimlessly at the flower since the train left, and was drifting into a mindless trance-like daze as he twirled it by the stem in his gloved fingers. He would have fallen asleep like two of the other passengers if it weren't for the train slowing down, snapping him out of it. With the noise of the train significantly quieter, Rayman could hear bongos and other various percussion instruments coming from all around outside, the melody being none other than that one common to the area around Bongo Hills Train Station. Only then did he decide to take a look out the window he had so anxiously wanted to sit against for that very reason. Bongo Hills Train Station was somewhat nicer looking than the one at Butterweed Bog, the air wasn't as moist in Bongo Hills, and therefore there was much less rust and peeling paint on the small structures and supporting poles around. The doors of the train were opened and the three awake passengers got off the train swiftly and quietly. It was no surprise that those three all wanted to depart at this stop; it was a great day to explore the lowlands and the highlands of Band Land. As the doors closed and the old train started to move once again, Rayman wondered why his friend, the Musician, didn't visit Band Land more often. He wondered if the Musician had ever even visited Band Land at all. No one could leave or enter the Blue Mountains that day, because of the mighty storm that raged in Twilight Gulch, but Rayman was sure his friend would appreciate being brought to the musical lands when the weather was calmer.

The next stop was Mintgrass Lowlands Train Station, only about ten minutes away. Mintgrass Lowlands was a small region of grassy plains at the base of the Blue Mountain range, appropriately named after the mint-green grass that grew through it, the same kind which grew sparsely in the higher altitudes of the mountains. Rayman gazed out the window and watched as musical instruments of all different shapes, sizes, colours and rarity passed. Or, more specifically, the train passed them. The sky was getting dark with grey clouds and the wind was picking up, sending loud calls of music through trumpets, trombones, flutes, clarinets and other horns and pipes all around. The train was progressing closer and closer to Mintgrass Lowlands Station, where the effects of the storm in Twilight Gulch were not so violent, but still evident. The Mountains themselves were big enough to see from anywhere in the Valley- aside from inside the Caves of Skops- but they looked even bigger up close, and Rayman knew all too well how huge they could seem when standing on them. The brakes on the old train screeched as it slowed to a halt at the Mintgrass Lowlands station, waking up the two remaining passengers on the train. One of the passengers rushed off the train sheepishly, looking somewhat relieved to have woken up at her stop, while the other passenger wasn't so lucky. He was tall and green-skinned, most likely a resident of the Dream Forest, and he held his face in his hands in embarrassment and despair when he realized just how far the train had taken him. Rayman couldn't help but feel sorry for the unfortunate sleepy passenger, who had missed his stop and now had no choice but to depart at base of the Blue Mountains. Now Rayman was the only passenger on the train, and his stop was next. Maybe more people would board the train at Eraser Plains Station; the people of Picture City generally enjoyed travelling more than the quieter inhabitants of the Dream Forest. As the train passed the Blue Mountains, Rayman wondered why they were named misleadingly, for the stones that made up the mountains were a dull shade of purple, not blue. It was similar to the way people would often call purple vegetables 'red'.

Eraser Plains Station wasn't too far from Mintgrass Lowlands. Rayman pressed the side of his face up against the window, trying to get at the right angle to gaze at what was ahead. The sight of Picture City was a welcoming one, with brightly coloured erasers, pens and paints all around, little tents with banners that waved in the breeze and locals raised with a taste for culture and arts. Rayman had visited on a good day, too; there were several street performers out and artwork of all kinds on display.

"It's a shame the theatre industry isn't doing so well right now." Rayman pondered to himself with a sigh as the train finally stopped at the Eraser Plains station, and he got off the train. "When Mr. Dark stole the Great Protoon, this place became really scary, now Picture City is getting less tourism than it used to."

Rayman shuddered at the memories of how hostile Picture City was without the Great Protoon to keep the world balanced. Giant pencils with sharp points began moving around erratically, thumbtacks appeared all over otherwise safe grounds, and floods of ink turned stable land slippery and hazardous. Rayman knew that Picture City was safe again, and so did Betilla and the Magician, who appreciated it just as much.

As Rayman walked away from the train station, taking in the sights, he began to really understand why Tarayzan didn't like Picture City. He was afraid of it, and not just because of how it became during the absence of the Great Protoon. The City was a high-class place of artistic and theatrical appreciation that would leave poor Tarayzan culture-shocked out of his wits. Tarayzan was like the king of the Jungle, but he would feel so small and out-of place in Picture City, he would have trouble understanding the city the same way he understands the wilderness, he would feel frightened to be surrounded by people who live and act so differently to how he has lived all his life. It was then that Rayman felt sorry for Tarayzan. He was liked by many, but misunderstood due to his lifestyle. Rayman and Tarayzan had been like cousins for quite a long time, but somehow they had always skimmed over or avoided the topic of where Tarayzan came from, or his family, or why he was… The way he was.

Feeling the flower in his hand and regaining awareness of its presence, Rayman remembered why he had come all the way to Picture City. He knew just the lady to dye the flower, and her workshop was nearby, within a marketplace along the outskirts of Eraser Plains. Laurilee was her name; she was one of Eraser Plains' locals, and a very friendly one. Rayman began his walk through the plains, enjoying the feeling of the smooth, flat ground of erasers under his shoes. It made a nice change from the uneven, somewhat haphazard ground of the Dream Forest. Some of the blue-skinned inhabitants of Picture City called out greetings and waved as the hero passed them. Rayman passed all kinds of people on his way through the city, some were painting, some were actors, and some he couldn't tell just what they were into. A shy photographer was standing alone outside a cinema, taking photos of distant pencil forests with a large, expensive-looking camera held in front of his face. He was wearing a blue, red and green checkered trench coat and a satchel full of strange photography equipment. Rayman couldn't see the photographer's face past the camera, only his messy yellow hair and big, round eyes, but he was pretty sure that he was the same photographer who had documented his journey through the Valley to save the Electoons and defeat Mr. Dark.

"_That guy sure does a lot of moving around!_" Rayman thought to himself as he turned and headed towards the market square near Eraser Plains' outskirts.

The markets weren't as active and busy as those near the train station, but they were just as welcoming. They were like carnival stalls and miniature circus tents, coloured in stripes, checkers and spots in pastel shades of pinks, purples and blues. There was one in particular that stood out to Rayman. He didn't know what it was about it, for it had no significant distinguishing features, but he could just feel that it was the one he was looking for. Approaching the shaded counter of the pleasant set-up, Rayman was unnoticed by the friendly Picture City local tending to the small business. She had bright blue skin and scruffy teal hair, a round nose smaller than his and a misaligned tooth that jutted out over her upper lip. She wore bright orange clothes with a red and green beanie on her head and a pink scarf around her non-existent neck. The lady appeared to be in a world of her own, staring off into the distance as she daydreamed.

"Laurilee?" Rayman spoke softly to catch her attention.

Laurilee jumped and snapped out of her daze, surprised to see a familiar face after such a long time. Her expression turned to clear delight when she recognized him.

"Rayman!" She exclaimed. "It's great to see you again! What brings you back here to my little old dye workshop?"

Rayman presented the white flower to Laurilee. She wasn't quite sure what to make of it, but something seemed to be ticking in her mind, like she had seen it before.

"The Magician told me to bring this white flower here to be dyed in the best colour I can pick." He explained to her. "How I got it is sort of a long story."

"Alright then, which colour shall it be?" Laurilee asked, shifting her attention to the kaleidoscope of coloured dyes in the shelves behind her. "Cyan would be nice for a flower. Or maybe amber. Perhaps even beige, it may sound like a dull colour but in the twenty years I've spent working with dyes I've grown to love the colour quite a lot."

Rayman thought for a while. Those were nice colours, but not the ones he needed. He needed something special, something that made him feel great, something good for a magic spell.

"Magical purple." He decided.

Laurilee tilted her head and looked rather bewildered for a moment. She then nodded in recognition as she recalled the shade of purple the hero had in mind and retrieved it from the shelf.

"You're getting the Magician to make you a boredom cure, aren't you?" The lady asked as she began mixing the dye with some other unusual liquids into a small, narrow jar on the counter between them.

"How did you know?!" Rayman responded, quite surprised.

"When I was a young girl, the Magician's father made me count yellow Popolopoï in the Pink Plant Woods and pick that many white flowers from the bush at the bottom of the tree closest to the water of Anguish Lagoon, then I dyed it a beautiful colour and brought it back to him." Laurilee explained as she placed the flower stem-first gently into the jar of dye.

"Did it work!?" Rayman asked rather excitedly. "How does it work? What happened? What did the flower do?"

"I can't tell you that."

Rayman felt rather disappointed that Laurilee was keeping the secret of the boredom cure a secret. He assumed it was for the best, though. He watched on silently for a moment as the beautiful rich shade of purple crept up the stem of the flower. He then had a thought that had been bothering him for quite some time, and he needed to ask someone.

"Where is Inkland?"

"Inkland?" Laurilee repeated, her face falling to a bewildered expression. She had no idea what Rayman spoke of.

"When Andrew left after his visit to the Valley, the Magician told me he went back to Inkland." Rayman explained, a hint of sadness to his tone. "I searched all of Picture City after that, and I couldn't find any trace of this so-called 'Inkland'."

"Inkland, Inkland…" Laurilee pondered, straightening her patterned beanie. "No, there is no Inkland, only Ink Lake. I think what the Magician meant was that his cousin went back to England."

Rayman perked up curiously. "Where's England?"

"Far, far from the Valley, I'm afraid. You won't be able to visit him anytime soon… But he will return for a visit someday, I'm sure he misses his family very much."

Rayman's disappointment was short-lived, as he noticed the white flower on the counter was no longer white, but magical purple. It was even better than he imagined it would be!

"Thank you, Laurilee!" Rayman thanked as he untied his red neckerchief and gave his last remaining coins to the lady. It was then that he realized he had no money left to get back to the Dream Forest by train. "Oh… Looks like I'll be walking. No way will I make it back before night."

Laurilee genuinely felt sorry for the hero. She knew it was a long walk from Picture City to the Dream Forest. Today had been a slow day, for her business anyway, so it wouldn't hurt to close a little early.

"How about I pack up for the day and buy us both tickets back to Butterweed Bog station." She offered, to Rayman's delight.

"Really? You'd really do that for me?" Rayman asked, surprised.

"Of course! It really is the least I could do for the hero of the Valley after all. Besides… I've been meaning to go back to the Dream Forest. This may sound strange coming from a Picture City woman, but… I'd really like to explore the jungle. I have relatives living near the Pink Plant Woods who surely won't mind me staying the night unexpectedly."

"Alright! Thanks!" Rayman exclaimed, taking the 'magical purple' flower out of the jar. "I have a friend who lives in the Dream Forest. His name is Tarayzan, and he's a bit… on the wild side. He doesn't know city life well, if at all."

"Well in that case Tarayzan and I have a lot of stories to share with each other, don't we?"

The friendly local packed up her dye workshop for the day, leaving it just another little decoration on the Eraser Plains landscape. She graciously purchased two train tickets back to Butterweed Bog and boarded the train with Rayman. Along the way, Rayman talked not about his brave and heroic adventures, but of the little things in life, like berry cereal and painting. Laurilee talked about her own quirky little experiences, from encounters with street mimes to misplacing her favourite scarf. The sort of things one would talk about on a train. It had been a while since they had seen each other, so naturally they had a lot to tell. They conversed until the old steam train finally stopped back at the Butterweed Bog station, where they departed the train and left it to repeat its route back through the Valley without them, before giving each other their goodbyes and well-wishes.

Rayman sighed softly with relief as Laurilee headed off away from the station. It had taken him a long time, but he had finally completed the Magician's request. For a moment, Rayman had forgotten what it was, and then he remembered, it was that 'temporary cure' for the boredom that had plagued him. Rayman began his walk to the Magician's cottage, which stood not too far from Butterweed Bog. The house was hard to miss; its appearance was similar to something straight from a fairytale, with its round yellow brick walls and tall, red, hat-like roof. Rayman almost began to feel a bit tired as he trudged up the hill in the Pink Plant Woods, and wondered just how long he had been out for. Up on the hill was a peaceful green clearing surrounded by pine trees, and in the middle of that clearing was the Magician's house, almost appearing to glow orange as the sun was setting into the horizon behind it. He took a moment to just stand there and admire the moment, the moment that the rest of the day had led up to, before walking up to the purple wooden door on the old house. Rayman wiped the grass and dirt off his shoes on the doormat and knocked gently on the door a few times. After a brief moment of silence, a voice called out from inside.

"Come in, Rayman!" the Magician called out, knowing that it was the hero who was at his door.

Rayman opened the door gently and slowly walked in, lest he disturb the peaceful silence within the home. He shut the door gently behind him and looked around the inside of the room, which carried the same essence as the outside. Small flower-filled vases adorned the windowsills and the kitchen counter, the old wooden cupboards were decorated with elaborate engravings, the walls were lined with bookshelves, filled with many old and modern books, and an unlit fireplace rested in what would have otherwise been an empty space in the corner. In the middle of the house was an elegant old bookstand holding the magic Book of Knowledge, open with its pages flicking back and forth gently through the force of its own magic. Rayman found himself gazing at the photographs hanging around the house, above the fireplace, next to windows and beside the bookshelves. They must have been photographs of the Magician's family, because most of them showed similar traits, most notably their long, golden hair.

"My great, great grandfather guarded the Book of Knowledge." The Magician's soft voice broke the silence, making Rayman flinch and snap out of his trance. "And his great, great grandfather, also. The role of guarding that very special book has been passed down through many generations. It's not quite as prestigious as being a guardian of the Great Protoon, like Betilla, but it is still very important."

Rayman had only just noticed the Magician sitting at the small, finely-polished wooden table on one of two matching chairs. He was looking up at Rayman with a pleased expression, and had been watching as he admired the interior of the house.

"I certainly worked my back out of order rearranging and tidying everything yesterday morning." The Magician stated. "Did I do well?"

Rayman nodded with a smile and held out the 'magical purple' flower. The Magician took the flower gently from Rayman's hand and inspected it, grinning. Rayman twiddled his thumbs anxiously, waiting for a response.

"It's magical purple." Rayman stated, to the Magician's surprise. "My favourite colour."

"Magical?" The Magician said, adjusting his hat with an amused look. "Magical purple?"

"I liked the colour so much, that I decided to give it its own special name." Rayman explained, sitting down on the chair on the opposite side of the table.

"Ahh, I should have guessed!" The Magician chuckled, holding the flower out in front of himself and tilting his head. "When Andrew and Betilla and I were younger, we made up many different names for the colours we thought were most special. There was a shade of gold that Betilla called 'laughing gold', because the colour reminded her of laughter."

Rayman could have sat and listened to the Magician's stories for the rest of the evening and all night, but that would be boring. Rayman was here to be cured of boredom.

"So how are you going to do the trick with just that flower?" Rayman asked, growing slightly impatient.

"Rayman, the trick has already been done!" The Magician replied enthusiastically, sliding the coloured flower into Rayman's hair. "Tell me, from the moment I left you this morning, to the moment you knocked on my door, what have you done today?"

Rayman gazed up at the ceiling with his hand on his chin, as he recalled all the sights and events of the day.

"Well, I went to the Pink Plant Woods almost straight away." Rayman began to explain, still unsure of what the Magician meant. "I saw Popolopoï of every colour of the rainbow along the way, but only one yellow one. And it landed right on my nose! Then I headed through the Swamps of Forgetfulness, getting very muddy along the way, before I made it to Anguish Lagoon. I explored around the lagoon for ages, I just couldn't tell which tree was closest to the water! Then, I really got a surprise when I fell right in! I could have drowned there, so I was certainly lucky that Tarayzan was there to save me. He also told me which tree was closest to the water, so that's where I got the flower. Then I walked all the way back home just to change into some dry clothes, and by then it was almost lunchtime, so I bought a banana and eggplant sandwich at the Butterweed Bog Station, but I only just had time to finish it before the train arrived. There were only a few people on the train and two of them were sleeping, so I took a seat right next to the window. Passing Band Land and the Blue Mountains gave me a lot to think about, the things that you might not think about unless you were on a train, you know? When I made it to Picture City, the place was really active! The arts and theatre were really going today! Then I began to have some other thoughts. Thoughts about how Picture City's tourism has been dying since Mr. Dark stole the Great Protoon, and why Tarayzan is afraid of the City. I felt a bit sad for a while, but then I saw Laurilee again for the first time in… A long time, and she told me that your dad showed her the same 'boredom cure'! I became very curious and wanted to know how it worked, but she wouldn't tell me. While the white flower was being dyed, I asked Laurilee where Inkland was, but she told me there is no Inkland in Picture City, only Ink Lake. Apparently Andrew is too far away for me to visit anytime soon... After I gave the last of my coins to Laurilee I realised I didn't have money to take a train back to the forest, but she was kind enough to pay for tickets for both of us to take the train back to the Dream Forest. I said goodbye to Laurilee, then I made my way up this hill and to my surprise, the sun was already beginning to set."

The Magician seemed quite amazed by Rayman's story. He went to rise from his chair but was quickly reminded of the pain in his back that had hindered his movement all day.

"That's quite a story you have there, Rayman!" The Magician said in an impressed tone, trying to regain a comfortable sitting position. "See, that kept you entertained through the day, didn't it?"

Rayman's face turned to an amazed grin as he realized how easily he had been tricked out of his own boredom. It was moments like these in which he really admired the Magician's cleverness. Rayman couldn't help but wonder, while he was out travelling around the Valley, how had the Magician spent his day with such a sore back?

"What did you do today?" Rayman asked, to the Magician's surprise.

"I, well, I just read books." The Magician replied, thinking deeply to himself.

"Adventure books?" Rayman asked. "I love adventure books; I also really like funny stories, comic book and some scary novels."

"Not those kind of books, Rayman" The Magician replied, shaking his head with a bit of a smile. "Those are fiction books, I read about history and magic studies."

"History? Magic studies?" Rayman responded with a frown. "That sounds boring! That sounds like something I would have to read at school!"

The guardian of the Book of Knowledge couldn't help but chuckle softly at the hero's response. Rayman didn't quite share the enthusiasm in the studies of magic that he and Betilla hoped he would, but Rayman displayed a lot of unique potential nonetheless. The Magician still hoped to one day see Rayman earn his magician's diploma, just as he and Andrew had earned theirs.

"No-one knows everything; therefore one never grows too old to learn, Rayman." The Magician said. "Besides, I find these books to be quite interesting. They tell a lot about the world and its people. I even read a book on how the fairies shared the secrets of magic with my very own ancestors hundreds of years ago, back when Picture City was only Picture Town and quills were abundant there. Here, Rayman, give this book a read." The Magician handed Rayman an old book with a bright golden cover, titled 'Tales of the Great Protoon – The Stories of the Electoons, the Guardians and the Harmony'. "I think you'll enjoy it if you give it a chance, the Valley's history is full of surprises, and so is its future I would imagine. Also, the cover is laughing gold! If you see Betilla again this evening, tell her I still remember that one!"

Rayman opened the book and flicked through the pages. Some of the information in that book must have dated back long before the lands of Candy Chateau were even discovered, but even the oldest of information could be new to someone, especially someone young like himself.

"Speaking of colours," The Magician suddenly spoke, taking off his top hat and sticking his hand into it. To Rayman's astonishment, the Magician pulled the lost tube of magical purple paint out of the bottom of his hat! "I found this while I was rearranging the furniture; you must have left it here by accident last time you visited!"

"My magical purple paint!" Rayman exclaimed excitedly, rising from his chair swiftly as the Magician had tried to earlier. "I thought I'd lost that forever!"

"I found in underneath one of my bookshelves!" The Magician laughed with a smile, seeing how ecstatic Rayman was to have his favourite colour paint returned to him. "You must have left it here last time you visited!"

"Thank you! I would love to stay here, but I need to get going." Rayman said. "The day is pretty much over, and I have dishes to clean from this morning. Thank you for getting me on my feet and out and about today, it's given me so much to think about, and so many other things to do!"

"It's my pleasure, Rayman." The Magician said, twirling his long hair around his finger. "I look forward to hearing what you've been up to next time you decide to visit! Take care!"

Rayman left the Magician's house with a feeling of satisfaction and excitement. He held the old book firmly in his hands, with the petals of the flower in his hair swaying gently in the dusk breeze. Through the bright orange haze of the near end of the sunset, Rayman saw none other than Betilla the Fairy flying towards him. He followed her with his eyes as she circled the air elegantly then slowly descended in front of him, wearing her usual dress graced in yellow on one side and green on the other, and her matching hat.

"Hi, Betilla!" Rayman greeted enthusiastically. "How did the meetings go?"

"They went very well, Rayman, I got quite a lot of important things discussed." The fairy replied, suddenly noticing the book in his hands. "Ah, I'm glad to see you've taken an interest in history! You know, I read that book when I was even younger than you are. That book was what really encouraged me to practice and perfect my magic skills, and to become a guardian of the Great Protoon. That had been a dream since I was very little. Did the Magician lend you that book?

"Yes, he did." Rayman replied, grinning. "…The cover is laughing golden!"

Betilla and Rayman were silent for a moment. Betilla couldn't help but giggle, knowing that the Magician still knew one of the many names they had made up for colours during their childhood. Rayman began to chuckle as well, knowing what Betilla was thinking, and then the two burst into laughter, not for any real reason, but it felt great. The fairy was still giggling as she and Rayman waved goodbye to each other and continued their journeys home.

Rayman felt quite overwhelmed by the possibilities of what he could do the next day!

"_I could paint a picture, using some of my magical purple paint!_" He thought to himself as he walked home. "_Or, I could introduce Tarayzan to Laurilee! I could go visit the Musician, and take him to Band Land with me! I could go play games with Betilla and the Electoons! I could learn how to swim! I could go to Picture City again and watch a performance with the Magician if he's feeling any better! I could write a letter to Andrew!_"

Before he knew it, Rayman had almost bumped nose-first into his own house. There was a peaceful silence, the sky was darker and the two moons were beginning to glow. Rayman yawned and stretched his non-existent limbs, feeling a bit tired. He knew that once he had had a late dinner and cleaned up the kitchen, he would be settling down for the night and might even go to bed early.

And that's when Rayman knew what he would be doing tomorrow. Rayman remembered that tomorrow was one of his lazy days. Perhaps he would just lie in his hammock and give that book a good read, and do those other things some other day.


End file.
